The Labor enquirer., 1887-01-29
Z "
From Boston TO San Francisco
For One DollarI
Why Not7 ~
The Present Rates Of Freight
and Passage are COrpor-
ate Robbery.
Facts and Figures for Those VII
Are Interested.in the Rail-
road Problem. ~

For The Enquirer.
The horse cars carry all passengers
for cents, regardless Of distance.
Whether you ride one block or several
miles 1t is just cents. The steam cars
could have one price for carrying all
passengers. regardless Of distance.
We pay 2 cents for carving q letter,
no matter whether it is carried one mile
or 5000 miles it is just 2 cents. We
send freight through the mail for cent
per ounce on any package of less than
four pounds in weight. without any rel
gard to distance. The same system can
easily be adopted as 10 all freights. To
get an idea of the cost of travel or
freights under this system take the re-
ports of the entire passenger and freight
traffic on the railroads in the state of
Illinois last year. ~ =
The total number of local and through
passengers carried IN that state last year
we're 22,7l79s4, and the total receipts
for carrying them was $I5. .3l6. .l04. which
amounts to not far from go cents per pas.
senger regard ess of distance. Oas dol
lar per ticket good between any two
points in the United States would be a
fair rate. On local trains, running not
over twenty miles, so cents per ticket,
and on trains running not over ton
miles, 25 cents per ticket. All shorter
routes should be based on the 5 and 10
cent horse car rates. All tickets should
be surrendered on entering the cars,
and all trains known as express or
through trains, to distinguish them from
short route or local trains, should always
carry sleeping and dining cars so no pas.
senger need leave the cars until arrived
at his destination.
The roads would make their money
by the increased amount of travel and
BY the great patronage this would give
to their dining and sleeping cars The
immense sale this would give to papers.
periodicals, books. ETC., would also be an
extra source of income to them. Y
1t seems at first little incredible that
passenger can be carried from Boston
to San Francisco for 81 and make 1t pay
as we'll as passenger traffic now pays.
but little reflection proves that it can
be done.
As to freight, we will take that carried
In Illinois during last year to illustrate :
All the through and local freight car
ried on the roads in Illinois last year
amounted to totsl of 89,277,6S3 tons,
and this was carried at cost of $37 ,523, :
9l8; or at the Cost of about 40 cents per
ton.. This shows that by pooling all the
roads in one consolidation, freight can
be carried for 81 ton regardless of dis
tance, and this is about what the roads
are receiving now. The great expense
and trouble is in handling the freight
and keeping run of small separate par
cells, and to meet this, all shipments Of
less than ton should pay u cents pei
100, or at the rate of$l.5O per ton; and
all shipments of less than 100 pounds
should pay at the rate of 81 per ton Of
10 cents per 100 pounds. On the little
freight we now send through the mails
we are paying 16 cents for one pound
and people could not complain at l cent
pound on little parcels of less thar
five pounds.
These rates would better accommo-
the people and would pay the roads bet
ter than the exhorbitant rates now
charged. This is only carrying out the
beneficial philosophy of cooperation.
At the above rates it would cost only
10 cents to send barrel of -four to an,
point in the United States, aud the iso
lated inland farmers would then have
the same access to market that farmers
have who live near the cities. Thi!
would instantly equalize the value o.
all land. This would be strike fol
human equality that would mean 60. 10
thing. To carry this out one of two
things must be done; Either the gov
eminent must take the roads and hold
them for the people as one property, O.
the roads must all consolidate in on,
pool and take the proceeds from freight
and passengers as one total sum and di
vide it among the roads according t.
their cost Of construction aud amount o
carrying done over each per mile. Il
would be an easy matter to dstermin,
their just proportions of the whole in
come. Of course this can be best sd
ljdsted by the governments owning al
the roads and operating them. ~
Under this system one going to Ger
tain destination would pay 81 to &c
there. If he wanted to get of q dosal
times he would have to pay 81 eacl
time TO get on; thus the tourist woul
pay many extra dollars and many trav
elers would spend as much in gettin
from Boston to San FIR .nci SEQ - 1t cost
now. for most people will stop of y
many times as skey can afford to.
II the roads charged q much for cal
rying $50 pounds Of -four from Bostol
to San Francisco IS thew charge for Cal
rying human being Of the same weigl
(who does not depend on . freiat